Bounced emails

[steveeyes]

Hi All.

I asked this question before the hack and I did get an answer, but the reply so above my head that I wasn't sure of a solution. Part of the problem may of been I didn't word my problem well. Here goes.

I use 4images to send out newsletters to my members. The problem is, if the email address is invalid or not good, I do not get a bounced email reply. For me, getting this reply is valuable since it tells me if an email is valid or not.

It was easy enough to test, I simply created a user in 4 images with a bogus email (something like xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxfafafafa444@hotmail.com) and sent it. Also I sent emails to members whose email bounced in other mail servers so I know they were invalid.

At first I thought maybe this is a php problem. However, I downloaded other php programs that had mail functions and they would report a bounced email. It is inconvience to use another program for my newsletter since I would have to keep 2 programs upated -- both 4 images and the other php program.

I'm back to using 4 images as my newsletter program...it sends out emails find, but still not getting that  email telling me if an email bounces. This is important. What I was doing, if I got 3 bounced emails from a member, I called to inquire about a valid email. Without 4 images telling me if an email bounces, I lose this function. Also, if I could not resolve the bounce email issue, I eventually delted the user from 4 images.

Hopefully I explained my problem well enough to ask the following:  Why doesn't 4 images report a bounced email? Is it something to do wth my server? If it is my server, why does  other php programs report a bounce email and not 4 images?

Any help or advise would be appreciated.

thanks in advance for your reply.

[Nicky]

hi,

you are right..

with SMTP option you will get the email that the email does not exist

Code: [Select]

FROM: MAILER-DAEMON@smtp-1.xxxx.at (Mail Delivery System)


This is the Postfix program at host smtp-1.xxxx.at.

I'm sorry to have to inform you that your message could not be
be delivered to one or more recipients. It's attached below.

For further assistance, please send mail to <postmaster>

If you do so, please include this problem report. You can
delete your own text from the attached returned message.

                        The Postfix program

<asjdhakjshdkasdhkjasd@hotmail.com>: host mx2.hotmail.com[65.54.166.230] said:
    550 Requested action not taken: mailbox unavailable (in reply to RCPT TO
    command)

[HEADERS]
Return-Path: <n@xxxxx.at>
X-Original-To: n@xxxxxx.at
Delivered-To: n@xxxxxx.at
Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1])
        by smtp-1.xxxx.at (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6DC021741;
        Wed, 20 Apr 2005 16:16:11 +0200 (CEST)
Received: from smtp-1.xxxx.at ([127.0.0.1])
        by localhost (smtp-1 [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with LMTP
        id 11953-02-2; Wed, 20 Apr 2005 16:16:10 +0200 (CEST)
Received: from mail.xxxx.at (XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX.static.xdsl-line.xxxx.at [xx.xx.xx.xx])
        by smtp-1.xxxx.at (Postfix) with SMTP id 0509A1487;
        Wed, 20 Apr 2005 16:16:09 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: blah
To: n@xxxxx.at
From: n@xxxxxx.at
Subject: blah
Message-Id: <20050420141609.0509A1487@smtp-1.xxxx.at>
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 16:16:09 +0200 (CEST)
X-Virus-Scanned: by xxxx.at Virus-Scanner
X-NAS-Bayes: #0: 1.17473E-022; #1: 1
X-NAS-Classification: 0
X-NAS-MessageID: 680
X-NAS-Validation: {755ADAE5-7826-4BEA-8D83-F4FBCA2B7F4C}
[/HEADERS]



without SMTP, there is no error email..

[HEADERS]
Return-Path: <www-data@xxx.at>
X-Original-To: n@xxxx.at
Delivered-To: n@xxxx.at
Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1])
        by smtp-1.xxx.at (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9BDEF174A
        for <n@xxxx.at>; Wed, 20 Apr 2005 16:19:42 +0200 (CEST)
Received: from smtp-1.xxxx.at ([127.0.0.1])
        by localhost (smtp-1 [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with LMTP
        id 13197-02-2 for <n@xxxx.at>;
        Wed, 20 Apr 2005 16:19:42 +0200 (CEST)
Received: from queuelrelay.xxxx.at (queuerelay.xxxx.at [xx.xx.xx.xx])
        by smtp-1.xxxx.at (Postfix) with ESMTP id 804731575
        for <n@xxxx.at>; Wed, 20 Apr 2005 16:19:42 +0200 (CEST)
Received: from neue-erde.xxxx.at (unknown [xx.xx.xx.xx])
        by queuelrelay.xxxx.at (Postfix) with ESMTP
        id 8786717E369; Wed, 20 Apr 2005 16:19:16 +0200 (CEST)
Received: from www-data by neue-erde.xxxx.at with local (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian))
        id 1DOG2u-0000gw-00; Wed, 20 Apr 2005 16:19:16 +0200
To: n@xxxx.at
Subject: werwerwe
From: n@xxx.at
Subject: werwerwe
Message-Id: <E1DOG2u-0000gw-00@neue-erde.xxxx.at>
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 16:19:16 +0200
X-Virus-Scanned: by xxxx.at Virus-Scanner
X-NAS-Bayes: #0: 4.34067E-020; #1: 1
X-NAS-Classification: 0
X-NAS-MessageID: 682
X-NAS-Validation: {755ADAE5-7826-4BEA-8D83-F4FBCA2B7F4C}
[/HEADER]

[steveeyes]

Nicky...is there a solution? I called my server and I can't use the SMTP function because they will not turn it on because of the security risk. With the PHP mail, why do I get a reply concerning bounced mail with other pHP programs and not with 4images? Is it a bug in 4images?  I'd appreciate your feedback.

Steve

[Nicky]

can't say you rightnow.. i'll write to Jan

maybe he have a solution for this.

[V@no]

would u sent me email from your script ( seyeevets at vano dot org ), I want check the headers. I suspect it bounces emails to the email address that set in php.ini settings (u can check it with):

Code: [Select]

<?php
 phpinfo();
?>

[Chris]

V@no has a good point.  I had the very same issue because PHP was setting the  "Return-Path" header incorrectly.  It required a server admin to fix it

[steveeyes]

Vano...I did what you asked....I think??????? Sent you an email from my 4 images. I also created a php file to check the phpinfo. Once I got the phpinfo I had no idea what to look for. It was a lot of information that was greek to me.

Chris,mention he had this problem also.  I need it to be  more specific to know what to look  for and what I should say specifically to my host to fix it. That may sound like asking for too much details, but believe me everytime I call Ipower, I never get anywhere unless I'm specific. I called them today concerning this problem and  the tech I talked to didn't seem to have a glue, so I need to be more specific if I'm going to get them to help me.

Thanks for everyones effort.

steve

[V@no]

yes, as I suspected, your emails are bouncing to nobody@host87.ipowerweb.com instead...

I just found on php.net a comment about this issue with a work around
So, try this: in includes/email.php find:

Code: [Select]

      return (mail($this->to, $this->subject, $this->body, $this->create_header())) ? 1 : 0;Replace with:

Code: [Select]

      global $config;
      return (mail($this->to, $this->subject, $this->body, $this->create_header(), "-f".((empty($this->from_email)) ? $config['site_email'] : $this->from_email))) ? 1 : 0;

[steveeyes]

V@no thanks for your reply. I'm getting the following error:

Parse error: parse error, unexpected ',' in /home/filipina/public_html/4images/includes/email.php on line 172

I found the code with no problem and all I did was copy and paste the code from your post to  replace it with. Uploaded, sent an email and the above error is what I get. Did it several times to be srue I was getting your code right, but got the error each time.

I know it probably is something simple, but my lack of PHP knowledge has me sratching my head.

Steve.

[V@no]

sorry, my bad, was editing the code directly in the reply field
I've fixed the code above

[steveeyes]

Hey V@no

No errors with the code, but still get no reply for an invalid email. May have to bug my host again and see if they can fix the php.ini file. May I ask what should I tell them to do or how should I explain it.

Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate your effort and welcome any other suggestions....but if it is a server realted problem not sure if we can fix with code. But you are much more of an expert than I, so whatever you recommend is ok with me.

Thanks V@no for going above and beyond....

steve.

[Chris]

PHP was setting the  "Return-Path" header incorrectly.

Simply point out to your host that PHP is setting that header to nobody@host87.ipowerweb.com when it should not be setting it at all

[V@no]

and by the way, nobody asked u what OS is your server using? why do I have a feeling its windows?

[steveeyes]

Thanks all for your help.....v@no this is what it says for m server info:

Server Information
Operating System Linux
Perl Version 5.8.0

thanks again.


steve

[Nicky]

V@no here is my phpinfo
http://www.hmm.at/1.php

SERVER_ADMIN  office@hmm.at

does not exist